Bulbophyllum lichenoides Schltr. 1913 SECTION Monanthes [Bl] Avery. 1994

Drawing by Schlechter And The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Lichen-Like Bulbophyllum

Flower Size

Found in New Guinea on trees in range forests at elevations around 800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing epiphyte with barely noticeable, cylindrical pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, patent, oblong, obtuse leaf that blooms in the late winter and early spring on an erect, short to .12" [3 mm] long, single flowered inflorescence.

Schlechter states that the plant is so small and delicate as to appear to be a Lichen and the flowers are the smallest in the section and are either violet red or violet brown with a dark purple lip.

According to J J Vermuellen - "The only other species in SECTION Oxysepala Bentham & J D Hook.f. 1883 with a lump at the tip of the lip is Bulbophyllum chalcochloron and it differs in having a ciliate dorsal sepal, caudate and ciliate petals, and a lip with short hairs without a swollen tip. It is also a much larger plant than B lichenoides."

Synonyms Diphyes lichenoides (Schltr.) Szlach. & Rutk. 2008

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * *Orchidaceae of German New Guinea Schlechter 1913/85 drawing fide

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